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Blu-ray Review: Pixar's "The Good Dinosaur"

“This is probably one of the greatest experiences I’ve ever had in my life, probably the toughest gig I’ve ever had,” says The Good Dinosaur director Peter Sohn on the Blu-ray Audio Commentary. “I can’t tell you how my journey on this thing has completely paralleled Arlo and his fears, not having a lot of confidence. I remember jumping into this thing, being terrified of this, trying to make a movie and my confidence levels dropped down like a million, but… like Arlo and the characters that he meets—and the T-rexes and Spot—you guys have been that ‘Spot’ for me, where you have helped me. And I can’t thank you guys enough in terms of giving me that strength and confidence...”

“I’d do it again in a heartbeat, Pete,” says Story Supervisor Kelsey Mann.

Only a handful of DVDs and Blu-rays have such revelatory features as those on The Good Dinosaur. It is no secret that this spectacular yet intimate adventure is the “Jan Brady” to Inside Out’s “Marcia, Marcia, Marcia.” But as the above quote illustrates, there is an open sincerity inherent, not only in the film itself, but also in the thoughts and feelings the filmmakers share on the various features.

Of course, younger children can just watch the movie, though depending on the sensitivity of the kids; you might accompany them, as there are some impactful moments of danger, violence and extreme peril. Arlo spends a lot of the movie saying this: “AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!”

But here’s the unusual angle: this Blu-ray package offers a way to better appreciate and enjoy the film more than would have been possible in a theater, due in no small part to the illuminating bonus features.

If you have not yet seen the film, the following is a rather unusual suggestion. Watch some of the extra features first. Not all mind you, but just the ones that provide a prelude to the film as a production experience, which, while ultimately satisfying, was fraught with challenges. Director Sohn identifies with Arlo, but on a larger scale, the entire film is like the timid dino—there are missteps that keep the story from being completely focused, but there are also moments of unfathomable beauty and emotion.

Here’s a wild idea: before you play the film, watch these generously lengthy extra features first:

1. Always begin with the cartoon. “Sanjay’s Super Team”: an exquisite short in which a little boy’s action hero TV watching is disrupted by his father’s prayer observance—and vice versa—this morphs into a wondrous fantasy steeped in cultural iconography.

2. “The Filmmaker’s Journey” – Sohn and his dedicated and highly supportive creative team don’t mince words about how this project shifted gears and went into overdrive. Presumably there was only so much time to address the most urgent issues and get the project into theaters in the best way possible—the result being a film, though flawed like its protagonist, worthy of the immense pride and love they share for the finished product. (NOTE: There is a spoiler at the end.)

3. Every Part of the Dinosaur – This goes further into the exhaustive efforts to design the characters and create their world. To me, the film plays better on a home screen because, when a film has such a strong design sense, it can overpower the primary characters and their story. On TV, it becomes more cohesive.

4. Following the T-rex Trail – This and “The Filmmaker’s Journey” are the two most important mini-docs. It’s about a remarkable ranch family and their approach to life. For animation fans and students, you can see how getting to know such a family was pure gold for character development. If only we could see more of this family. They’re great.

5. True Lies About Dinosaurs – Aimed at preteens, this is a jaunty look at how the film plays fast and loose with the chronology of history, especially blending species that had never coexisted. It’s a good feature to see because it sets the stage for a film that asks the viewer to suspend disbelief and just go with the flow.

Now it’s time to watch “The Good Dinosaur”! (By the way, does anyone else wish there had been another title, like “The Journey of Arlo” or “Arlo & Spot?”? The chosen title recalls the awkward “Great Mouse Detective” that was changed from “Basil of Baker Street.”)

After the movie and a nice cool beverage, enjoy the following:

6. Deleted Scenes – Of course, these must be seen after the film. I couldn’t help wishing that the sequence between Arlo and his father had been left in. The film was a bit of a downer for at least the first reel and the father-son moments made them more identifiable.

7. Hide and Seek – These interstitials are perplexing, as they seem to come from another film, like Ice Age or Open Season. In this comedy blackouts, the character play directly to the camera and engage in wacky pratfall hijinks, not at all in the spirit of the more lofty visions of the feature itself. Please do not watch these before the movie.

9. Audio Commentary – thank you! Not all Pixar releases include audio commentaries and it is a glaring omission when that happens. In the case of The Good Dinosaur, getting first-hand, genuine anecdotes and observations about the film as it is running is one of the best things about DVDs and Blu-rays. The fact that the commenters are so eager to credit as many members of the team as possible speaks well of them as people.

8. Recyclosaurus – A little slice of life at the studio as the employees participate in a dino building contest, using only things on the “free table”. These folks appear to be having fun.

Note: Special Features noted above are only on the blu-ray disc. The only extras on the DVD are the commentary and the short film.

Blu-ray REVIEW: Tomorrowland

Seeing Tomorrowland for the second time is infinitely more satisfying than seeing it for the first. It's a movie that, even with such spectacular visuals, is largely an intimate, earthbound story about several relationships and the potential of humankind.

The trailers and preview clips could not help raise expectations for a movie that didn't exist. Either that, or the movie we saw was not the movie edited as intended. Maybe something was missing that had been there before, in addition to the deleted scenes included on the Blu-ray.

Like the World's Fair and the Disney Parks versions of Tomorrowland, the first thing one might expect of this film would be a live-action Jetsons with pithier undertones. George Clooney chooses most of his first because of meaning as well as story. The overall message is very powerful and inspiring (without giving anything away), but the movie itself is largely a simple and small drama with action set pieces.

Seeing it again, knowing what it will not deliver helps the viewer appreciate the uniformly fine performances of the young players. A second view also eliminates the (sorry) letdown when the film's dogged pursuit of a fantasmagorical new world where we spend lots of time and get to know what life is like there and Rosie the Robot and all...well, once Hugh Laurie and George Clooney face off after Laurie hits him with the standard sci-fi "those puny humans are such useless fools" it brings back memories of such confrontations at the end of each Six Million Dollar Man and Bionic Woman episode.

That said, props to Brad Bird and his team for risking an original story in a film marketplace dependent on sure things like sequels and movies with stars who do the same things in each of their movies. Hopefully Bird's not out of the original live action movie business quite yet.

The Blu-ray looks magnificent -- this movie is worth marveling at if only for the loving, meticulous recreation of the 1964 New York World's Fair, something that we can never visit in real life -- and that's really what movies can do for us, isn't it? The Emerald City-like moments of flight are wonderful, too, and remind one of such a sequence in Disney's underrated Meet the Robinsons, another film that was undefinable and turned out to be a superb experience if approached with no previews or sneak peeks.

Alas, there is no audio commentary for Bird to further explain his vision, which, despite whatever strengths and weaknesses are -- is earnest, sincere and fascinating. We spend some time with him and the cast and crew at Kennedy Space Center and the awe with which they see the structures and gadgets is very real indeed.

My favorite bonus feature is something we rarely experience on bonus features, some time with the composer. It was charming and informative, as Michael Giacchino's brother narrated and took video of a day in his life (what's the deal with the peppers?) and truly marvelous when Richard Sherman visited the music studio to hear the orchestra perform "There's a Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow." What a great big, beautiful moment it was. Giacchino's awe was akin to that his colleagues at the Space Center.

Fun fact: In the shop scene, the disc is placed on the album cover of a 1979 Disneyland Storyteller Record of The Black Hole. Ironically, that film is also better on the second viewing because it does not pay off the anticipation of what the black hole is like. Seeing it again, it's a fine space opera romp for a Saturday afternoon.

Blu-ray REVIEW: Disney's Cinderella (2015)

The ongoing motto of the spectacular, shiny new Cinderella -- a reimagining of the 1950 Disney animated classic. It's a richly detailed extravaganza that incorporates into its script elements of the earlier film, but adds more spunk to Cinderella -- the ending scene with her Stepmother and Stepsisters was much needed in the original. But it also actually tones down some of the most dramatic and intense moments in the 1950 film.

Most notably, the Disney-created "mother's new dress" sequence is downright horrifying as depicted by Walt and his artists. The abject cruelty is so deeply felt, the evil is more demonic that many of the other Disney villains, like Maleficent or the Evil Queen. It's physical and psychological abuse. In the new film, the actions are less pronounced and a little less dark, but it does produce the same emotional effect nonetheless. Maybe it was too intense to be done with live actors.

Speaking of the actors, they are hand picked for perfect roles. It's clearly Cate Blanchett's movie to dominate, and she is a slam dunk, adding a twisted, bitter reason for her evil -- a counterpoint to Cinderella's way of handling adversity. The stepsisters are still comical, and the mice are there, too.

I would have loved it if we could have heard Helena Bonham Carter sing "Bibbidi Bobbidi Boo" and Lily James sing "A Dream is a Wish Your Heart Makes" on the soundtrack. But the background music by Patrick Doyle is sweeping, elegant and just as magnificent as the scenery.

The castle is the visual centerpiece. Interestingly, the digital graphics are so convincing that one wonders just how elaborate the set had to be. Never mind -- they filled Pinewood's James Bond stage with grandeur.

One major story change was introducing Cinderella to the Prince early. This also happened in The Muppet Special, Hey Cinderella, in which she thought he was the palace gardener. Cinderella also encountered the prince early in the Rodgers and Hammerstein musical version. It's a fine way to work the prince into the story more than he is in the animated film (princes were notoriously difficult to animate). It also comes as a bit of a relief to the viewer, as the opening sequences are filled with tragedy.

It must be pointed out that there is one other live-action Cinderella that compares favorably with this version, in that it opens up the story, adds political intrigue and actually takes the tale beyond the shoe fitting. This is the Sherman Brothers' exquisite musical, The Slipper and the Rose. Featuring one of their most sophisticated scores, this isn't quite as elaborate as the 2015 version, but it is highly recommended.

Blu-ray is a welcome medium to capture all the filagree, ephalets and taffeta and curliques.. There are also a few generous behind the scenes bonus features but no audio commentary (good grief!)

BOOK REVIEW: We Can Be Who We Are: Movie Musicals from the '70s

This is a large book,
but it's remarkably swift and "digestible" to read. I chose to read
about the movies I liked best, but could not resist reading about the
ones that were so-so. But author Lee Gambin writes with such enthusiasm
and conviction, every chapter is fascinating and entertaining, whether
the film is familiar of not. Some of the reviews are combined in a
single section and others are given more lengthy examinations.

The obvious '70s films are here, like Grease, Saturday Night Fever,
Fiddler on the Roof, Jesus Christ Superstar, Godspell, even Willy Wonka
and the Chocolate Factory. What is truly marvelous is that a lot of
films that are usually tossed aside or barely acknowledged in most film
books are included--like Pufnstuf, Bedknobs and Broomsticks, Journey
Back to Oz, Raggedy Ann & Andy and Sherman Brothers musicals like
Charlotte's Web, The Magic of Lassie, Snoopy Come Home, Tom Sawyer and
Huckleberry Finn--and are discussed with a respect and sense of
importance rarely if ever afforded to them.

Gambin also considers TV specials as valid musicals of the '70s and why
not? He reviews several Rankin/Bass classics like Santa Claus is Comin'
to Town and The Easter Bunny is Comin' To Town, plus TV versions of
Broadway shows like Applause and It's a Bird! It's a Plane! It's
Superman!. You'll even find the infamous Star Wars Holiday Special, The
Paul Lynde Halloween Special and Hanna-Barbera's KISS Meets the Phantom
of the Park!

Gambin often puts the subtexts and messages of the films under a
microscope, much as a college professor would in a film class. It's his
book and his valid opinion, but some might be taken aback by some of the
things he interprets. The book covers material from A to Z and from
G-rated to X-rated, so the reader will be exposed to very mature subject
matter and politically incorrect verbiage inherent in films that are of
their time.

The book does, however, have misspellings, errors and grammatical issues
here and there. The interviews are presented unedited, which means that
repetitions and extraneous phrases are intact. That's great from an
historic point of view, but it makes the reading somewhat tedious and is
not a favor to the interview subjects (from my experience, they don't
mind a little gentle editing). It would have also been helpful if the
table of contents included the titles of the films covered. However, the
interviews are pure gold and the overall book is so thorough on so many
points that it is still recommended.